Gravity-pump.



GQ E. SMITH & B. P. HUDSON.

I GRAVITY PUMP.

, APPLICATION FILED JANA, 1911. 1,026,71 3. Patented May 21, 1912.

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G. E. SMITH & B. F. HUDSON.

GRAVITY PUMP.

APPLICATION IILED JAN. 4, 1911.

Patented May 21, 1912.

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"UNITED STATES- AENT FFTQE.

GEORGE E. SMITH AND BENJAMIN F. HUDSON, 0F JACKSONVILLE, OREGON, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-FOURTH 'IO JAMES B. SMITH AND ONE-FOURTH TO WILLIAM V. SMITH,

BOTH or JAoKsoNvILLE, OREGON.

GRAVITY-PUMP.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that we, GnoRoE E. SMITH and BENJAMIN F. HUDSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Jacksonville, in the county of Jackson and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gravity-Pumps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pumps, having particular reference to a pump designed particularly for deep wells and one which is operable by counter-balancing weights.

An object of this invention is to provide a pump which is operable by weights to produce a practically continuous flow of water, or other fluid and a pump which requires but little power for its operation.

The invention essentially comprises a pair of cylinders provided with weighted plungers which are hung upon a reciprocating drum adapted to alternately lift the weights .to allow the same to fall within the cylinders and force a quantity of water up through a feed-pipe suitably connected to the lower ends of the cylinders.

The invention has for a further object to provide a pumping mechanism of this character which is of comparatively simple structure and one which can be easily dropped into a well-casing of considerable dept For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a sectional view of the im proved pump. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the driving shaft of the pumping mechanism. Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 44 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the weighted plungers employed. Fig. 6 is a sectional perspective view of the lower end of the plunger, disclosing the component parts thereof, separated one from the other. Fig. 7 is a detail. perspective sectional viewof the lower end of one of the cylinders and the pipe connection thereto. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the three-way coupling employed. Fig. 9 is a section taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 1. Fig. 10 is a detail sectional view through one of the check valves of the cylinders.

Specification of Letters Patent. App1ieation filed January 4, 1911.

Patented May 21, 1912. Serial No. 600,831.

Corresponding and like parts are reindicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings the numerals 10 and 11 designate a pair of companion cylinders which are joined at their upper ends by a head 12 holding the same firmly in parallel and vertical relation between a pair of straps 13 supported upon a suitable base 14. The base 14 is apertured as at 15 and is adapted to fit into a well-casing 16. The straps 13 extend considerably above the upper ends of the cylinders 10 and 11 and support a guide 17. The guide 17 is in the form of a casting providing companion sleeves spaced apart and having a laterally projecting web 18 between the sleeves, the web being vertically apertured to receive a feed-pipe 19. The head 12 is likewise provided with a web apertured for the reception of the lower portion of the feed-pipe 19. A pair of plungers 20 and 21 are slidably disposed through the sleeve sections of the guide 17 and project down into the cyl inders 10 and 11 respectively. Each of the plunge-rs is formed of a hollow elongated body adapted to be filled with a heavy substance such as lead, or the like, and which is enlarged at its lower end as at 22 to receive the threaded shank 23 of the piston 24 of the plunger. The piston 24 is of a size sufficient to fit snugly within the cylinder, and has a reduced portion 25 to receive a number of packing rings 26. The reduced portion 25 terminates in the threaded shank 23 which is of a diameter less than the reduced portion 25.

The enlarged lower end of the plunger is apertured at diametrically opposite points 27 to receive a transverse pin 28 passing through an opening 29 formed through the shank 23. The upper ends of the plungers 20 and 21 are provided with eyes 30 for the reception of the opposite ends of a counterbalancing cable 31. The cable 31 is supported about a drum 32 which is mounted at the upper end of the well-casing 16 between the forward standards of a suitable frame 33. The frame 33 carries a segmental rack 34 arranged at one side and above the drum 32 and adapted to mesh with a gear-wheel 35 rigidly mounted upon the end of the drum 32. The segmental rack 34 carries an ing rod 37.

upwardly extending arm 36 carrying the outer end of a connecting rod 37 which is attached to a relatively large gear 38 carried in the frame 33 by a wrist-pin 39. The wrist-pin 39 is adjustable in a plurality of openings 40 arranged at different distances from the center of the gear 38. The frame 33 is further provided with a powenshaft 41 arranged transversely immediately beneath the gear 38. A pinion 42 is carried upon the power-shaft 41 intermeshing with the gear 38. Pulleys 43, varying in diameter, are carried upon the shaft 41 and receive thereover a power transmitting belt 44 driven from an engine 45.

The plungers 20 and 21 are provided with stop-collars 46 which are adjustably secured thereabout by set-screws 47 and are adapted to engage against the inner adjacent ends of the guide 17 and the cylinders 10 and 11 to limit the movement of .the plungers.

Each of the cylinders 10 and 11 comprises a hollow longitudinal body tapering slightly at its lower end and threaded as at 48 to receive a pipe connection 49 carrying upon its lower end a check-valve 50. The lower end of the cylinder is provided with an upwardly directed annular shoulder 51 to receive the lower end of the plunger when dropped within the cylinder. In one side of the cylinder, and beneath the shoulder 51 an intake check valve 52 is disposed to admit a fluid to the cylinder when the plunger is raised. The check-valve casing 50 carries at its lower end an elbow 53 which in turn carries a pipe connection 54 fitting into one of the ends of a three-way coupling 55. The coupling 55 is disposed upon a support 56 carried by the base 14 and is arranged between the lower ends of the cylinders 10 and 11. Two of the openings from the three-way coupling 55 extend toward the elbows 53 while the third opening extends upwardly to receive the lower end of the feedpipe 19. The support 56 is in the form of a metallic strap bent U-shape and attached to the base 14 beneath the lower flanged ends of the straps 13 by screw-bolts 57.

In the use of the improved pumping apparatus the base 14 and its adjacent parts are sunk within the well-casing 16, the same being lowered by the cable 31 as the stop collars 46 engage against the lower end of the guide 17. After the base 14 is seated at the bottom of the well the cable. 31 is adjusted over the reciprocating drum 32 so as to alternately raise the weighted plungers 20 and 21 within the cylinders. The engine 45 is now set in motion to drive the powershaft 41 at a rate of speed dependent upon the pulley 43 over which the driving belt 44 is positioned. The pinion 42 on the powershaft 41 revolves the gear 38 to reciprocate the segmental rack 34 through the connect- The drum 32 is revolved through the gear 35 as the rack 34 is rocked. The relative size of the rack 34 and the gear 35 is dependent upon the number of revolutions which it is necessary to impart to the drum 32in order to raise the weights 20 and 21. \Vhen one of the weighted plungers, for instance, the weighted plunger 20 is raised by the cable 31 the fluid about the cylinder 10 rushes in through the valve 52 to occupy the space left by the raised plunger. As soon as the plunger descends, the inlet valve 52 is closed and the fluid within the cylinder 10 is forced. down through the check-valve 50 and through the coupling 55 into the feed-pipe 19 through which the fluid is raised. The weighted plungers 20 and 21 alternately descend by their own weight, and produce a practically continuous flow of fluid up through the feedpipe 19. Should the cable 31 break, the plunger 20 would fall into the cylinder 10 until the piston 24 thereof reached a position adjacent to the shoulder 51 when the stop collar 46 would strike the head 12 and hold the plunger 20 from further downward movement. The stop-collars 46 thus serve thepurpose of limiting the stroke of the plungers and prevent the jamming of the plungers in the lower ends of the cylinders when the cable 31 breaks.

It will be understood that this gravity pump may be utilized in compressing air as the plungers 20 and 21 create a vacuum in the lower ends of the cylinders 10 and 11 and thus cause a suction of air into the cylinders through the check-valves 52. The downward movement of the plungers 20 and 21 force the air from the lower ends of the cylinders 10 and 11 through the check-valves 50 into the stand or feed-pipe 19.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A pumping apparatus including companion cylinders, a head joining the cylinders and having an opening in one side thereof, a feed pipe engaging through the opening of the head and having communication at its lower end with the cylinders, check valves interposed between the cylinders and the feed pipe, plungers operable in the cylinders and extending between the same, straps carried against the sides of the cylinders and extending above the same, a guide carried upon the upper ends of the straps and receiving the upper ends of the plungers therethrough, operating means connected to the plungers for alternately lifting the same, and stop collars adjustable upon the plungers and between the upper ends of the cylinders and the guide. I j

2. A pumping apparatus including companion cylinders, straps carried by the cylinders and extending up therefrom, a guide secured between the upper endsof the straps and having vertical openings therethrough, plungers operable in the cylinders and engaging up through the guide, lifting means for the plungers, and stop collars carried by the plungers to limit the movement thereof. 3. Pumping apparatus comprising parallel vertical cylinders, a support for the cylinders, straps extending up from the sup' port against the sides of the cylinders and above the same, a head joining the upper ends of the cylinders, a feed pipe passing through the head between the cylinders and communicating therewith at their lower ends, a guide carried between the upper ends of the straps, plungers operable in the cylinders and extending up through the guide, and stop collars carried upon the plungers for movement between the cylinders and the guide to limit the throw of the plungers.

In testimony whereof, we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE E. SMITH. [L. s.] BENJAMIN F. HUDSON; [L.S.] Witnesses:

LEWIS ULRICH, CHAS. NICKELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

